As I wrote last year, I have very mixed feelings about seeing Liberal Democrat colleagues in honours lists. Many are great people who have done great work, both inside party politics and outside it too – and it's worth remembering that nearly all political roles pay very little, if anything, for all the time involved. And yet... compared to those who put their lives physically at risk every day in a public service, or those whose jobs involves quite remarkable extremes of physical or mental punishment to fulfilling their tasks, being a politician in the UK is - thankfully - ...
Lib Dem MP for East Dunbartonshire, Jo Swinson, has been awarded a CBE in the New Year's Honours list. The rumours were true, about Nick, then. Elizabeth Riches, who came within two votes of winning North East Fife in June becomes an MBE. She was a councillor for many years and was depute leader of Fife Council from 2007-12. Depute Leader of our group on York City Council, Ann Reid gets an MBE for services to local govermnent. Another Scot, Graham Garvie, former Convener of the Borders Council and now a member of the Lib Dems' Federal International Relations Committee, ...
David Hemmings wrote in his memoirs: The greatest challenge on Gigolo was filming the 78-year-old Marlene Dietrich. She had refused, of course, to come to Germany, where she hadn't been since before the war. Instead we had to transport a complete set to Paris.He also reminisces about being introduced to Berlin's more bizarre clubs by Kenneth More, but that is not relevant here. As well as Dietrich, Just a Gigolo starred David Bowie, Kim Novak and Hemmings himself. Here you can listen to Bowie and Hemmings talking about the film. It was written of as a flop when it came ...
I once published a post with this title showing Alastair Cook singing Glory to God as part of the choir of St Paul's Cathedral in 1997. Here he is (at 1:43) singing Hark the Herald Angels Sing at the same event. This carol was traditionally sung on the second Sunday after the MCC's fixture with a New South Wales Country XI. h/t @JamesMunro5
Another piece of "silly season" news (see previous post) which has occupied the media over the holiday period is that the British Army has decided to drop the use of the recruiting slogan "Be the Best" because Market research shows it to be " dated, elitist and non-inclusive." Apparently this piece of market research cost around £500 000. I cannot see why the slogan should be regarded as either elitist or non-inclusive. It is after all an aspiration rather than a claim that the army only "takes the best." Surely, whatever our funciton, we should all be urged to at ...
1. What happened to you in 2017 that made you the happiest? This is perhaps an odd one, but being elected Chair of Plus. Even though I'd been acting chair for most of the year anyway, actually getting that vote of confidence (and blush-making round of applause) really felt like being appreciated. It's nice to feel appreciated. OfC now I have to prove myself worthy of it... 2. What are your plans for New Year's Eve/New Year's Day? [IMG: [personal profile] ] hollymath and [IMG: [personal profile] ] theandrewhickey are coming to visit and we'll probably play silly board and/or ...
Second frame of issue 3: This was flagged up to me last year as being particularly popular among File 770 readers in the run-up to Hugo nominations; when it didn't appear on the final ballot, I guessed that it might have been pushed off by the Puppies and bought it during my brief visit to Portland, Oregon. In fact, it didn't even make the top fifteen of last year's nominations, and probably did well in the File 770 straw poll because Busiek is a frequent (and valued) contributor over there. I don't think I'd have voted it terribly high on ...
Why are you breathing? Apart from the obvious biological answers, do you know why you are alive? I didn't for a long time. I was ignorant. The first time I ever thought about why I was alive was when my dad called me to his office (now my room) for me to watch the TED Talk by Simon Sinek. It is a phenomenal video that has helped thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people across the globe. Everyone should watch it and think hard about why they are alive and what they can do to achieve that why. Except ...
This time last year, Vince Cable was looking forward to potentially winning the bad sex award for his novel Open Arms. He certainly wouldn't have thought that by the end of 2017, he'd not only be re-elected as MP for Twickenham but would be leading the Liberal Democrats. That his failure to pick up the said bad sex award was his low point of the year shows how spectacular 2017 has been for him. He talked to Politico about his hopes for 2018. It's simple, really. To secure referendum on stopping Brexit. And winning it. His lesson learned in 2017, ...
Tense situations at home and at work during the painful adjustment to a multi-racial society in post-war Britain is the 1961 British film 'Flame in the Streets' in a nutshell.
Welcome to the latest in my occasional series highlighting interesting findings from academic research. Today – how did the efforts of 38 Degrees to raise turnout at the general election fare? I have rather a love-hate relationship with 38 Degrees, normally settling on 'meh', partly because of their general silence on issues of civil and political reform. They've been largely silent on topics from same-sex marriage through to House of Lords reform. For me at least that sits oddly with their founding idea of marshalling a progressive majority of people in the UK. 'Progressive' is open to many definitions, but ...
Second frame of third page of vol 3: Second frame with dialogue on third page of vol 3 (Eleanor, very pregnant, is having a nightmare about her husband's religious mania): Second frame on third page of vol 4 (Vincenzo Damonte comes across a tragedy in the forest): Having very much enjoyed the first two volumes in this six-part series about the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine, I also enjoyed the next two, taking the story over the decade from Eleanor's first pregnancy in 1144 to her second marriage in 1152. Volume 3 mainly concerns the disastrous Second Crusade and its ...
July A snap of Bonkers Hall I took years before I met Lord Bonkers turned up again, while the death of James Davidson left Elizabeth Shields as the older former Liberal MP. I watched cricket at Mr Logan's ground in East Langton and came across the restoration of a historic house in Kibworth Beauchamp. Jonathan Meades, I discovered, published a guide to the TV personalities of the day in 1979: The neatest digs are aimed at two targets who are still very much with us 38 years on - the Dimbleboys, as Meades says Bernard Levin used to call themMy ...
Last month, 15 year old Scottish Young Liberal Jess Insall successfully proposed a motion at Scottish Liberal Democrat Conference which called for gender neutral school uniforms, a simple concept that would make a huge difference to the culture in our schools. Jo Swinson backed the motion and told Conference that if uniform stopped girls doing cartwheels, then it was the wrong uniform. Today the Scottish Government has expressed support for this move, as reported in iNews. Schools across the country should consider making uniforms gender-neutral rather than forcing girls to wear skirts and boys to wear trousers, the Scottish Government ...
Embed from Getty Images The Daily Mail wins our Headline of the Day Award. In a nice seasonal touch, the woman in question is called Natasha Claus. She has also been banned from entering Woking. Thanks to a reader for the nomination.
Remain lost the referendum campaign because it took it for granted we would win - reasonable, educated, cultured people like us were always trusted to pull the levers of power
Thu, 12:56: Jo Johnson's warning to universities on free speech https://t.co/h6FstU1AUb interesting thoughts from @SarahAB_UK. Thu, 15:57: My year on social media: Facebook https://t.co/htQdsWDJIh Thu, 16:03: My year on social media: Twitter https://t.co/JP43eAjUIx #ge2017 #ae17 #uk #ae17b #eurovision Thu, 16:05: Alphabets survey https://t.co/UqJj9khLer Thu, 16:13: My year on social media: Instagram https://t.co/X4jkCDQyXd Thu, 16:29: My year on social media: LinkedIn https://t.co/Ip1ITOXMhk Thu, 19:37: Congrats, Rob! https://t.co/W7N6Qv5q5f Thu, 20:48: Very sad. Will any Brexiteer take responsibility? https://t.co/sBNQBom2me Thu, 20:59: Everfair, by Nisi Shawl https://t.co/brDaGSaPGs Fri, 10:45: RT @PadraigBelton: On this day, 1918, the first ever woman is elected to the UK ...
What Did We Get Stuck In Our Rectums Last Year? Oh. MY. God. Words We're Watching: 'Doggo' | Merriam-Webster I do like Merriam-Webster. Their twitter account is excellent. Swearing helps us battle pain — no matter what language we curse in Commence vituperation now Are you a lib dem? You only have till 2nd January to apply to join the Race Equality Policy Working Group Why do archive files on Britain's colonial past keep going missing? I know why *I* think they do... miss_s_b | Meme via wolfpurplemoon ... which will only be of interest to people who like LJ/DW ...
2017 was the UK's greenest year yet in terms of generating electricity. Low carbon sources in June generated more electricity than coal and gas combined for the first time ever. In April, we had our first ever 24 hour period in which coal was not burnt at all. Since 2012, carbon emissions by the electricity industry have halved. All great news. Go back to the Coalition and you will be reminded
The US President's latest tweet suggests that he is trying to reach new depths of absurdity before the year is out. The Guardian reports, that as severe cold and record amounts of snow swept across the US east coast, Trump wrote on Twitter that the country "could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming that our Country, but not other countries, was going to pay TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS to protect against". As the paper points out, Trump's tweet reflects two of his favourite tropes: the conflation of weather with climate to pour scepticism on global warming, and ...
As we come into 2018, surely it is time for our party to regroup and to push forward in the fight to renew our place in British politics. A quick glance of the progressive press and you'd think the Lib Dems were about to collapse. Apparently we have come through this year, bruised and battered, only to find an entire lack of real resurgence under our new party leader in Vince Cable. Supposedly, our polls are at around 7%, and most of our MPs have slim and fading majorities. Unfortunately, an ex-leader is now embroiled in speculation over a knighthood ...
This time last year, I temporarily rage-quit Livejournal for Dreamwidth in the wake of yet another outage. I came back, obviously, but I'm still not very happy with the fact that this place has turned into a desert. I have to confess that this year I stopped reading my friends list regularly, after 14 years; there's just so much more going on on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and even (despite its drawbacks) LinkedIn. However, one benefit of the lower traffic on Livejournal is that quite often I am finding I have got the top post on the whole site for an ...
The Guardian has the story on its web site – see link above So all the Brexiters and the right wing press are celebrating the 'fact' that the UK will be able to go back to having blue passports, whilst they still try to make out that we presently have red ones because the evil EU made us. The fact actually is that this is yet another made up story in the long line of lies told to the British public by the rich and powerful who have been manipulating them to back what they want. We need an ...
South Glos Council has announced these Community Learning courses in Yate:. Please contact Peggy Ralph Tel : 01454 864507 Mobile: 07860181351 Email : community.learning@southglos.gov.uk Subject Venue Day From To Time Weeks FS English Armadillo Centre Yate Wed Jan 17th June 27th 1- 3pm 20 FS English Poole Court Yate Wed Jan 17th June 27th 6.30-8.30 pm 20 FS Maths Yate Library Thu Jan 18th June 14th 10-12 noon 20 FS Maths Yate Library Tue Jan 9th June 19th 7-9 pm 20 Introduction to business skills Yate Library Tue 23rd Jan 17th April 10-12 noon 10 Level 1 Office administration Yate ...
It won't improve. The world is in a mess. The economy is a bright spot, but politically there is turmoil in every which direction. Only a fool would offer predictions, but it is worth nothing some of the big events and issues for 2018 that could prove to be important catalysts and platforms. Catalonia: The unilateral independence referendum declared in favour of independence from Spain. The Madrid-approved election also declared in favour of independence. Now it is up to Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to make concessions that will prevent his country's break-up. It won't be easy. Rajoy is a dyed-in-the-wool ...
Liberal Democrat DWP spokesman Stephen Lloyd - who has a disability himself - is calling for an immediate end to private sector involvement in benefit eligibility tests for sick and disabled people. He says this has undermined the principles of the welfare state established by Liberal reformer Sir William Beveridge. Despite receiving contracts for personal independence payment (PIP) tests and work capability assessments (WCA) worth hundreds of millions of pounds from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), large multinationals including Atos, Capita and Maximus have consistently failed to meet the standards set by the Government. The companies have been ...
Analysis of OECD data by the TUC has found that the UK will have the worst real wage performance of any advanced economy next year. Responding, Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable said: "This is a very good analysis by the TUC. The Conservative pursuit of a hard Brexit is a big part of this, leading to a sustained level of inflation that is eating into wages. This means it is increasingly difficult for families to make ends meet. "Another reason is a productivity problem that cannot be solved when there is such subdued government investment. According to the analysis, we ...
Controversy is never far away in Ludlow. Men dressed as nurses, oak trees being felled, shop closures, business rate hikes and threats to Ludlow Maternity Unit were just a few of the controversies that engaged our town. It was a year of decent heat and the Millennium Green turned into a lido. Later it turned bitterly cold and snowed, creating a toboggan run on Gallows Bank but also lethal ice on the pavements. This year I managed to write 200 posts for my blog and send 26 email newsletters. There were more than 95,000 page views of my blog posts ...
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